A Spellbinding Wizard Afternoon Tea Magicked Up At Georgian House Hotel

Wizard Afternoon Tea at the Georgian House Hotel ★★★★☆

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 55 months ago

Looks like this article is a bit old. Be aware that information may have changed since it was published.

A Spellbinding Wizard Afternoon Tea Magicked Up At Georgian House Hotel Wizard Afternoon Tea at the Georgian House Hotel 4
Photo: Londonist

Flickering candles, tiered  bird cage stands and more dry ice than you can wave a wand at — Georgian House Hotel's new wizard afternoon tea looks the part, but can the food live up to hype?

The menu's a creative one —  sandwiches appear out of boxes designed to look like books, popping candy makes frequent appearances, and 'spider's webs' top the desserts.

Photo: Londonist

The cocktail we're served as soon as we're seated sets the enchanting tone for the rest of the meal. As our waiter pours it, the dry ice reacts, creating a mystical, smoky air around our table, and eliciting 'oohs' and 'aahs' of surprise and delight.

Photo: Londonist

Someone's been waving their magic wand out in the kitchen too. Cucumber never tasted as good as it does on the inside-out sandwich (or 'hciwdnas')— layers of bread and cream cheese wrapped in a thin slice of cucumber — and the caramelised onion and brie tart is a harmoniously addictive blend of gooey cheese and crumbly pastry.

Photo: Londonist

The only duff note in the savoury selection is the egg and cress, served on miniature beetroot waffles to underwhelming effect, but while the taste doesn't quite hit the spot, there are still points to be had for creativity — we don't encounter a single dry finger sandwich in the whole meal.

The egg and cress sandwich is the only duff note. Photo: Londonist

The charcoal-infused clotted cream which accompanies the scones has the mottled appearance of roquefort in the semi-darkness of the dining room — disconcerting, until you taste it. The scones themselves delve a bit too far into crumbly territory, making eating them something of a challenge. Popping candy-infused jam helps things along though, a simple yet creative twist on an afternoon tea staple which transports even the most po-faced of adults straight back to childhood (normal jam is available too, if you left your party robes at home).

A 'spider's web' made from sugar sits atop a passion fruit jelly. Photo: Londonist

Our final 'bird cage' of food arrives, the sweet course, and there's even more to be wowed by. A passion fruit jelly is topped with a structure of spun sugar designed to look like a spider's web. The 'dark arts' salted chocolate and caramel brownie proves a little too sweet, the lemon 'cursed' tart and that passion fruit jelly adding a much-needed tang.

But the highlight of the menu proves to be the deliciously creamy chocolate praline lolly shaped like a wizard's hat — coated in popping candy (of course). Sweet, simple and nostalgic, a whimsical end to a magical afternoon tea.

Wizard Afternoon Tea at the Georgian House Hotel costs £40 per person, with an extra £20 per person for unlimited prosecco, or £10 per person for a cocktail. Advance booking required. The Wizard Cocktail Experience is also available separately.

Last Updated 19 August 2019

Continued below.